Jon Lester will have no shortage of suitors this winter, and the Chicago Cubs are expected to be on that list.
CSN Chicago reported Wednesday night that the Cubs will make a push for the veteran left-handed pitcher, who will be free agent this offseason.
“Multiple industry sources say the Cubs are targeting Lester and will make a run at him this winter, trying to set a foundation piece in the rebuild at Clark and Addison,” Cubs insider Patrick Mooney wrote for CSNChicago.com.
Lester was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Oakland Athletics on July 31. The southpaw is in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career. After holding the Chicago White Sox to two runs over eight innings in a win on Tuesday, Lester is now 14-10 on the season with a 2.52 ERA. He also has 199 strikeouts in 199 2/3 innings of work.
That type of production obviously means Lester will be a popular guy once the hot stove is ignited. The Red Sox reportedly have interest in bringing Lester back to Boston, and they’ll likely be joined by a handful of big-market teams in their pursuit.
Lester has said being comfortable is more important to him than signing the biggest contract possible. The Cubs actually could do both for Lester. He’s familiar with team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer from their time with the Red Sox.
